Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

Chap.2 . sea+ Ji.,oo~ing unto 'jcfns. Boo''- lV. 451 .~~~~--~~--~--~--- 3. · He rofe ag~ini>r our refurrecrion to etermllife, Chri!l is-lillft ~ the patern, and pledg, and taufe of the refurrecrion of our bod~es; foljince by man c~me death, 1 by man came aifo the re(imeEfion of the dead : for M in Adam a!l dJ.', even fo m Chrift Cor. 1 o· ~~: jl 1 d fl all be made alive. There is avenue flowing from Chnfl: to !usSaint>, by wh1ch they lhall be raifed up at the latter day ; as there IS a venue Rowwg from the, head to the members, or from the root to the branches, fo thofe that are Ch:1fl: s JlJall be raifed t\p by Chrifl:. Nvt but that all rhe wicked in the world fhall be ra1fed agarn by , the power of Chrifl as heisajudg, for all that are in the graves {hall hear hi< voice, 1 Joh.s.zB~ And they jhall come forth, yet with this difference, they that h11ve done goOd nmo the • 9 · refwrreil'ion of life, t1nd they_ that have don~ ewl unto _the refurre[hon of d.1mnat1011. In this refpect the Saints JlJall have a peculrar refurrecr10n .; and therefore they are called the children of the rcfi<rreEfton, ~ecau{e they_ Jhall obtam a better refurrcEf!OI<, a_s Luk.zo. 6 • the Apoftle calls 1r. And 15 not Chtil: s refurrecr1on defireable m this very refpecr; 1f Heb. 11 .' 35 . we Jlwuld think, thefe bodyes of ours berng dufr, mufr never return from their du!ls, it might difcourage; but here is our hope, Chri!l is rifen, and therefore we mufr rife; it is the Apoflles own argument againll: thofe that held, there wao no refitrreEfion of the dead, why, faith the Apo!lle, if there be no re(iJrrcflion of the de.1d, then u not Chrift rifm.~-· Ifthedeadrifenot 1 then i<not Chrift raifed. --Butnolv 1 Co~ ',5· 12 • u Chrift rifen from the dead, and become tht firjl-fruits of them that jleep: he areues q, 1 '.o. plainly that Chrifl:'s refurrection is the principal efficient caufe of the refurrecrion of the jufl; I am the re(itrreEli•n, and the life, faith Chrifl, (i.) I am the aurhour, aud .worker of the refurrecrion to life. As the Father raifeth up the dead, and quick§neth them, even fo the Son lquick§neth whom he will; and hence it is that Chrifi is called" quicl(-Joh. "· " · eningfptrit; Chrifl is the,head and ftock of all theEleL't,.Ch:ill: is the. Authour, procurer, Joh. 5· 2 1 ' conveyer of life to alllliS off-fpnng, by the commun1cat10n of h1s Sptm. Chrift is a quick§ning fpirit, quickening dead fo1,1ls, and ·quickening dead bGdies, the Aut11our 1 c 01._ 15, 45• both of the firft and fecond refurrection. And is not this defireable ?-- 4· He rofe again for the a!furance of our jufri6cation, fanctification, and falva– tion. This is the reafon why the Apo!lle ufeth thefe words to prove the refurre– Cl:ion of Chrifl:,J will giveyo~<the fure mercies of David; none of God's mercies had a been fure to m ifChrifl had not rifen again from the dead. But now all is made A ' 1 3· 34• fure ; his work of redemption being fully finifi1ed, the mercy which thereupon depended was now made certain,( and as the Apofl:le'fpeaks) furezmto all the feed. Methinks a thought of this object in ref~<cr of it felf, and in relpecr of us, 7hould put our fouls into a longing frame ; is it not a defirable thing to fee Ram. 4· ' 6 • the King in his beau,.ty ? were not the daughter of Zion glad to go f(J'(th, and to behold King Solomon with the crown lvherewith hi< mother crowned him in the day ofhu efpoufals? if Chrifr incarnate, and in humane frailty was the defire if Nations, how much more is Chrifi exalted, andfin his glory? if it was Aug~tftines great wilh to have Cant.>· 11 • feen Chrifi in the llell1, how llwuld we but wiJl1 to fee Chrifl as rifen again from the dead? ha _u altogether lovely; or he u altogether defireable; defireable in the womb, Cant. 5· 16. defireable tn the cratch, defireable on the crofs, even when defpifed, and numbred with theives; delireable in hi, refurrection, yea all deurcable, yea above all defireable as rifen, exalted, glorified; in this confideration we cannot fadom the thoufand thou: fand part ofthe worth, and incomparable excellency of Jefus Chrifl. Or if Chrifr's refurreCl:ion initfelfwill notfiirupour lazy delires; is it not defirable as in reference ttnto us ? what, that he lhould rife again for onr jufrification ? that by vertue ofhis refur. recr1~n. thy foul.lhould appear righteous before the judgment feat of God ? 0 what a rav11lung word IS that, what a trmmph1ng challenge ? who jhalllay any thing to rh< charge ofGot!sEleEf ? tt IS God that fUJfijieth; who is he that condemneth ? it is Chrift R • that dyed, yea rather that is rifen again. Oh the fiings that many have, faying, what 0111 ' 1 ' 1 "' 4 JliaiJ I do when I die, ,and go down to thedufi? may not the Lord have fomething ~g~mft me at the day of reckoning ? why no poor foul, if thou an in Chrifr lt tshe that dyed, yea rather that is rifen again :for thy juflification; by his refur: recr1on he hath cl~ared all reckoning<, fo that now who JlJalJ condemn ? not fin Chrrfl: ha.th took lt away ; not the law, Chrifl hat\1 fulfilled it for us ; not Sa~ tan, _for 1f the Jud~e acquit us, what can .rhe Jaylo~ do ? 0 my foul that thy portton may b~ Wtth them who· bath r1ght and mle to thi; blelfed refurrectiOtl ofJefus·Chn~. but _thou fayfr again, what is it to me if I be jufrified in Chri~, A a a and

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